Batman and Deathstroke’s Shadow War, Explained

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Fans have seen Batman and Deathstroke go head-to-head plenty of times. They are parallels to one another, with Deathstroke being a grittier, more lethal version of what Batman could have been had his training not been motivated by a desire to do good. The Shadow War crossover event connected the worlds of Batman, Deathstroke, and the al Ghuls in a way never seen before, drawing Deathstroke into a conflict with Talia al Ghul regarding the death of Ra’s al Ghul.

However, not all was as it seemed, and lurking in the background was a puppeteer pulling everyone’s strings to get what they wanted. While the comic itself was a fun, action-packed read full of intrigue and drama, it also served several key narrative points moving forward. For one, it finally reconciled the division between Batman and Robin that had been going on for a few months at that time, allowing Damian Wayne to fully embrace being a hero who values the sanctity of life. Perhaps most importantly, though, it set up DC’s next major event: the Dark Crisis.

The War of the Assassins

At the event’s start, Ra’s al Ghul had undergone significant changes personality-wise. Having come to believe that his family could find a better way to help the world heal rather than his usual brand of violent eco-terrorism, Ra’s turned himself into the authorities and announced that he would share the Lazarus Pits with the world, hoping they could be used for good instead of evil.

Unfortunately, the beginning of what could have been his redemption was cut short by a sniper wearing a Deathstroke costume. Batman and Robin had been in attendance, but while Robin tried to save his grandfather, he was too late, and a grenade destroyed Ra’s’ body. Talia was injured but survived the ordeal and became determined to avenge the death of her father by killing Deathstroke.

In reality, Deathstroke was actually innocent of the crime. While a mysterious third party attempted to frame him, Deathstroke had gotten used to leading a new version of the Secret Society. More importantly, he was trying to be a father to the newest addition to his messy family: Respawn.

This young man was a clone secretly created by Ra’s al Ghul using the DNA of Talia al Ghul and Deathstroke. Deathstroke sympathized with the young man and took him in, actually trying to be a decent father for once. All that was upended when the League of Shadows attacked, operating under orders to kill Deathstroke and anyone who protected him. Deathstroke and Respawn were forced on the run.

All the while, Batman and Robin investigated the two sides of the war. Batman suspected that Talia might have orchestrated her father’s death, having never truly believed in his new vision of their future. Upon seeing that she had not used the lazarus pit to heal herself though, he realized that her rage was genuine, but still tried to convince her to stand down.

Robin, in the meantime, teamed up with another of Deathstroke’s children, Ravager, his often overlooked daughter. They worked together to track Deathstroke and bring him down. In doing so, they located Deathstroke and Respawn, who revealed that he was Damian’s half-brother. The news shocked Damian, but he seemed pleased by the notion of having a brother.

The War Truly Begins

Deathstroke and Respawn would get away, but not before reuniting Batman and Robin by reminding them of their shared concern for innocents. The dynamic duo was then confronted by the false Deathstroke, who only stated that the assassin needed to be punished before fleeing by collapsing the building they were in through unknown means.

They were closing in on the true culprit, but any chance of clearing up a terrible misunderstanding vanished when an attack from the League of Shadows killed Respawn. Now hellbent on getting revenge for losing yet another son, Deathstroke began regrouping with his Secret Society to kill Talia al Ghul, kicking up the Shadow War into a full conflict.

Deathstroke would invade Talia’s fortress in a bid to kill her. Their duel was vicious, as Deathstroke fought for the son he lost and Talia, the father she had only just gotten back. Ultimately, Talia proved the victor, killing Deathstroke and making it possible for the true instigator to reveal himself.

Taking off the disguise, he revealed himself to be Geo-Force, once a hero, older brother of the Teen Titan, Terra, and Prince of the ruined country of Markovia. His motivation for pitting Deathstroke and Talia against each other was simple yet understandable: revenge.

Deathstroke had manipulated and cast aside Geo-Force’s younger sister for his infamous Judas Contract, all to destroy the Teen Titans. So, Geo-Force’s reasons for manipulating him were more of a personal vendetta. Talia, however, had harmed his country. Or rather, her father had, manipulating events so that Markovia would be destroyed, effectively rendering Geo-Force the prince of nothing.

Yet, the opportunity presented itself in the form of two hated foes who not only could destroy each other but even the right triggers to prompt the fight. By getting both sides to weaken one another, Geo-Force could now destroy what remained and secure his vengeance.

The Shadow War’s Aftermath

Geo-Force used his power to transform into a monstrous version of himself so he could finish the job but was thwarted by the combined might of Batman, Robin, Black Canary, and Talia. With his plans thwarted, Geo-Force was arrested and sent to Belle Reve prison to serve time for his crimes.

During their fight, Robin finally made peace with Batman and, more importantly, accepted his creed of preserving life rather than taking it, completing an arc decades in the making. Talia turned herself in to honor her father’s last wishes, allowing the League of Shadows to rule itself for a time.

Deathstroke’s story didn’t end with his death at Talia’s hands. Without so much security around the Lazarus pits after the war, agents still loyal to Deathstroke brought him back to life with it. Before this, Deathstroke was prepping the Secret Society to be ready to face whatever crisis inevitably hit DC next and potentially altered the structure of reality.

However, something else reached out to Deathstroke when he died, motivating him to assist with the newest crisis rather than fighting it. Thus, Deathstroke would become the driving force behind the event that would become known as Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths.

As much as the Shadow War was about two vicious assassins going after each other, at the heart of the story was family. Deathstroke was trying to be someone present in the lives of his still-living children, but when that was taken away from him, he fell back on his old habits. Talia struggled to let go of her violent past to embrace a new future. Her father’s death sent her spiraling, but thanks to her son, she managed to find the strength to let go of the al Ghul dynasty. At least for now.

As for Batman and Robin, this event brought them closer than ever before, with Damian finally understanding the lessons his father had been trying to teach him all these years and Batman accepting that his son had matured and was becoming his own person. Someone he could trust. It is a fantastic read and leads neatly into the subsequent big events in DC’s history.

“}]] The Shadow War event pitted Batman and Deathstroke against each other and finally completed Damian Wayne’s character arc to make him a true hero.  Read More